Carnal Risk

by Kym Grosso

  He leaned over her, covering her body with his and taking her mouth. Softly, he sucked her lips, prodding his tongue through them. As she tasted her lover, she knew she’d never been with a man who could make her feel the way Garrett did. Nothing would ever be the same. When she told him the truth, he’d never forgive her. She fought the tears that came, falling down into their kiss.

  “Hey, baby. What’s wrong?” Garrett whispered. He quickly removed himself and the toy. “No tears. Come on now.”

  Selby made no move to get up and within seconds he was gently cleaning her bottom with a warm towel. She wiped at her eyes, trying to stuff her emotions away. Garrett tugged her skirt down, and lifted her into his arms. The blankets fell to the ground and he slid down until he was sitting on them. Pressing his lips to her head, he stroked her hair.

  “Selby, talk to me. You’re scaring me.”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “No, I’m sorry. We won’t do that again if you don’t like it,” he said.

  “No…it’s not that. I loved it, all of it.” She paused. “I just…no one has ever made me feel like you do. You do things to me, Garrett. This thing between us…it’s just intense.”

  “It is, but that’s not a bad thing.”

  “You don’t know me.” Selby shook her head. Worry crept into her thoughts; once he found out, everything would change.

  “I’m getting to know you. That’s how this works. I share things about me. You share things about you. We see how it goes. This thing we have going?” Garrett pressed his lips to her hair. “I haven’t been in a relationship in a long time. I’m not even sure how to do one.”

  “I wasn’t asking for anything,” she said.

  “I’m not saying you are. But this is what I’m talking about. We’re getting to know each other. My lack of relationships is one of those things you should know. I’m a busy man. I do what some people think are crazy, dangerous things. This is who I am. I’m not sure you want to even hook up with someone like me, but at the same time, I know already I’d have a hard time letting you go. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I care about you. When we’re together, it’s unbelievably hot. But I can’t make any promises about things or how things will end up between us.”

  “I can’t make any promises either,” Selby stated.

  She cuddled into Garrett’s embrace, wishing she could seal her heart. Selby was developing feelings for Garrett and it terrified her. Just one more minute in his arms, she told herself. One more minute to fantasize about a life with a man who was unattainable. One more minute to feel safe and warm, reveling in the ecstasy of the moment. Giving up Garrett Emerson was going to eviscerate her, but until the inevitable came, she’d soak up the memories, learning how to feel, for the first time in her life.

  Chapter Twenty

  Garrett sat across the room, observing Selby as she pecked away on the laptop. Focused on her task, she hadn’t spoken in thirty minutes. He glanced down to his iPad and pretended not to notice how she’d gone silent, completely obsessed with her work. Selby Reynolds intrigued him more than any other woman he’d ever met. Although she seemed reluctant to admit her desire to explore her sexuality on new levels, her body came alive under his touch.

  Making love to her in the barn had been an incredibly erotic experience and he had a hard time thinking of anything else. After testing her willingness to engage in anal play in the shower, he’d hoped she’d go further. While she’d been working earlier, Norm had picked up his order for him. As he’d suspected, she’d been responsive to the toy he’d selected, splintering apart under his touch. Even her awareness of Seth’s presence, the idea of being watched, had turned her on and he looked forward to exploring every aspect of Selby’s adventurous side. What he couldn’t have anticipated was her tears. Seeing her weep was like a blade to the gut. Like a switch, she’d gone from shivering in ecstasy to crying. He couldn’t deny the intensity of their encounter, yet he suspected she was keeping something from him.

  It would have been perfect if he’d been able to tell her that he’d date her exclusively, that they’d have a future. But the words didn’t surface. He should have told her the truth. That he was scared to death. That she was a game changer, one that he was struggling to control. Lars had called him out on his feelings earlier and he’d been on target.

  Garrett accomplished every goal he’d ever set. Financial targets had become an easy attainment. He’d become ridiculously wealthy, to the point where he gave away millions of dollars a year to charities. Extreme sports were the only things that remotely challenged him, but in the face of meeting Selby, it all paled in comparison. The only thing that would sate his craving was total possession of the woman who’d crawled into his heart.

  “Garrett, we need to talk,” she said, interrupting his racing thoughts.

  “What’s up?”

  “So I ran the same exact tool on both computers.” Her eyes never left her screen as she spoke. “The reason I did that was because even though I’m not detecting anything unusual on Evan’s device, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. The important thing is that when I try to break into Emerson, I get pretty much nothing.”

  “That’s good, right?” Garrett crossed to her and sat on the edge of his desk. She turned the screen so he could view it.

  “Yeah. It’s good but you can see here,” she pointed to the glass, “I was able to tunnel just the slightest bit into Evan’s department. I’m not sure what that means but it’s not good.”

  “I thought you just said you couldn’t get in.”

  “I’m not in. And on your PC, I didn’t get anywhere at all. It looks a-okay. But here. This isn’t right.” She pulled her hair upward and twisted it into a bun. “I’m using basic hacker programs. But my guess is that if I work on this a little more, I could get in, as in all the way into his department’s data.”

  “Go on.” What the hell did Evan do? He hated that even the smallest doubt had emerged. Still, he’d defend him until all the facts were unearthed.

  “The question is, can I get files to download when I get there? If I can do that, you have a major problem. Basically I could just steal whatever’s in there.”

  “Are you implying that Evan stole data?” The shock in Garrett’s voice registered at the same time he asked.

  “Garrett.” She hesitated. “I think maybe you need to give me a little more time to see if I can even get in. Let me work on this. I’ll get something custom going to try to block the tunnel. If it works, then we can cross that bridge when we get to it.”

  “Evan wouldn’t steal from me,” Garrett insisted, his voice stern.

  “I didn’t know him…personally.”

  “I did know him. He helped me build this company and I’m telling you there is no way. I don’t care if you can get in or not. He would have had a reason.”

  “I’m not sure what you want me to say. I’m just doing what you asked me to do.” Selby rested her palms on each side of the laptop and stared at the screen. “Sometimes we don’t know people as well as we think. Sometimes people keep secrets. With no evidence, I can’t say what he did or what he didn’t do. All I know is that someone killed him. They could have killed me.” Selby sighed and locked her eyes on his. “Someone is looking for something. And it must be pretty damn important.”

  “I agree, but there are lots of people out there who want to steal company secrets. Competitors.”

  “Terrorists.”

  “Sure. And that’s why Evan had us locked up tight. He isn’t the kind of person who would steal, let alone be a traitor. He wouldn’t do that.” Garrett shoved onto his feet. “You didn’t know him. Besides, he’s the victim here. I don’t know why you’d spend any time thinking he did something wrong.”

  “I didn’t say he did.” Selby blew out a breath and focused back on the computer, typing. Her lips tensed, and her eyes flared with anger. “I’m just saying sometimes we don’t know people. Sometimes the people closest to you ar
e your enemy.”

  “Not Evan.” Garrett regarded Selby as she refused to make eye contact. It was the first time he’d seen her truly angry, and it didn’t surprise him that she was controlled even when she got mad.

  “Whatever. This is going to take a few hours,” she noted.

  “I’ll be back,” he told her, leaving his office.

  He didn’t care what Selby thought. There was no way Evan would have stolen data. Thanks to the asshole who’d killed him, the real criminal, his friend would never get the chance to defend himself.

  As Garrett came into the great room, he caught sight of Lars sitting on the sofa, staring at his cell phone. A tote bag with Selby’s belongings sat next to him.

  “Did you have any problems getting in the condo?” he asked, falling back into an oversized chair. He crossed his feet on the ottoman.

  “No. Dean was still there, though. I guess they closed up early last night and came back again. He said he hadn’t found any fingerprints. He let me take some clothes and shoes. I grabbed some jewelry that I found scattered on the floor. Selby doesn’t wear a lot of bling, but I figured that she wouldn’t appreciate people stepping all over it.” Lars held up a small plastic baggie filled with shiny items. “Drove her car back here, too. It’s out in the driveway.”

  “Did Dean find anything?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “What does that mean?” Garrett asked.

  “Well, he knows how they got in. They found a small remote camera lodged into the crevice of the molding in the hallway. He thinks they watched her enter the codes. Probably used the same method to get in the building then set the camera up in the hallway and waited a few days to come back,” Lars replied.

  “Doesn’t she have security cameras? They should be able to grab an image of the guy.”

  “They have them outside, but it’d been disabled. It was done in a way that the super never noticed. I’m sure there’s hours of footage where no one’s coming or going. He never saw anything.”

  “Whoever’s doing this is intelligent. They’re not just your average criminal,” Garrett surmised. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then rubbed his forehead.

  “Agreed. This is a deliberate, well-planned attack.”

  “But they didn’t kill Selby.”

  “If they had a camera, they knew she’d left her place. But how did they know how long she’d be gone?”

  “Maybe he was going to kill her but when she called 911, he backed out. He didn’t know if her 911 call could have alerted the super.”

  “But he could have killed her,” Lars countered.

  “Yeah, I know,” Garrett agreed. She’d been rendered unconscious but if the intruder had hit her with greater force or on the temple, she could have died. “I’m thinking we should stay here tomorrow.”

  “Is Selby feeling okay?”

  “She seems focused.” Pissed off. Garrett inwardly shrugged. He hadn’t meant to come down so hard on her, but when it came to Evan, he was off limits.

  “That’s Selby for you. It’s why people want her.”

  “She’s mine now, though.”

  “Possessive much? Jesus, you have it bad for her, you know that, right?”

  “I’m just saying she works for me. Maybe I’ll steal her from you permanently.” Garrett attempted to thwart Lars’ line of questioning, but as the words left his lips, he considered that perhaps that was what he really wanted. She’d already effortlessly taken over Evan’s IT initiative.

  “She’s not mine to steal. Selby does what she wants. What she sees in you, though, I’m not sure. Yeah, you’ve got the whole ‘I’m a good-looking billionaire’ thing going on, but that shit doesn’t work on her.”

  “She’s not like other girls.”

  “Exactly. Maybe that’s why you’re all hung up on her. You enjoy the challenge. Not only can you mold her into your fantasy sex goddess, you have no worries that she’s into you for your money.”

  “Fuck you,” Garrett shot back, indignant that he’d insinuated he’d be playing with her like a neophyte porn toy. “For your information, Selby’s already a fucking goddess as far as I’m concerned. Maybe she just hasn’t found the right person that she’s been comfortable with. Maybe I’m the first person who really gets her and what she wants. Did that ever occur to you? She trusts me.”

  “Oh my God. You are so far gone.” Lars laughed.

  “You’re a dick.”

  “Yeah, well, I love you too, man. I can’t help it. I’m going to enjoy every fucking second you fall for her. Ah, the great Garrett Emerson is going down hard.” He smiled and tapped at his cell phone, ignoring the look of contempt that Garrett gave him.

  “I’m not falling for anyone. I like her. Big difference.”

  Lars rolled his eyes and gave a small chuckle.

  “I like her a lot. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing. I’m happy for you, I am. Despite your name calling, I meant what I said. I love you both. As long as you don’t fuck it up.” He sighed.

  “Nothing is happening that requires fucking up. Selby’s working for me. Thanks to you. Whatever’s going on between us is just…I don’t know…it’s just happening. We’re two people who are attracted to each other. Nothing more, nothing less. Don’t go looking any further into it, okay?” Garrett’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Besides, I’ve already told Selby all this. We’re cool. She knows the score.”

  “Does she really? What exactly did you tell her?”

  “Selby knows…”

  “Hello, Selby’s right here,” she stated, coming around the corner. Selby put a hand on her hip and brushed her hair from her eyes.

  Both men sat straight up, startled and embarrassed they’d been discussing her within earshot.

  “Hi.” Lars laughed, his eyes darting to Garrett, who shook his head no.

  “So did you find anything?” Garrett asked, changing the topic. He couldn’t believe he’d let Lars bait him into talking about how he felt about Selby. The glare Selby gave him told him she’d heard the tail end of their conversation.

  “I’m in.” Selby avoided Garrett. Walking around the sofa, she took a seat next to Lars.

  “You’re in…as in you’re into Emerson?” Fuck no. Garrett couldn’t believe she’d tunneled into his company. His entire corporation could be at risk if word leaked that they had a breach of security.

  “Yeah. So far I can’t download any files, but I’m sure if you give me a little longer, I’ll figure it out.”

  Lars’ face went flat as Selby spoke. “What did you run?”

  “The standard tools didn’t work, but that partial crack gave me an in. You know I’ve got a few of my own things I can try. But honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to get in on any other device. Evan’s got something enabled that creates the hole. So I guess the good news is that I wouldn’t consider it a widespread leak. Not unless Evan gave whatever he used to another user. I guess it’s possible he could have done that, but I doubt it.”

  “Could have been worth killing for,” Lars stated.

  “True, but Lars, give me a break. You and I both know Evan would not do that. For all we know, he was doing exactly what Selby just did. Maybe he was white hatting. We don’t know.”

  “Could be,” Selby agreed.

  “Someone went after Selby and was looking for something. Maybe the laptop? Maybe someone knew or suspected what Evan was doing?” Garrett scrubbed his chin, walking through in his mind why Evan would have hacked Emerson.

  “He would have had to tell someone,” Lars surmised.

  “I think we need to take things one step at a time. I know I just said I think I’ll be able to download the files, but until I actually do it, it’s just a possibility. If you give me a little more time, we’ll have more evidence.”

  “I fucking hate this,” Garrett commented, glancing at the text. The color drained from his face as he read it. “Something’s happened to Cormac. We’ve got t
o get going.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The scent of disinfectant permeated the air as they entered the emergency room. Selby grew dizzy as the memories rushed back. Screaming, she’d begged them to let her up from the table as she bled out onto the gray concrete floor. The masked adults around her spoke in what sounded like a foreign language as they discussed how best to suture the laceration on her back. No amount of pleading or crying made a difference as they cuffed her small wrists. As the first prick of anesthetic stabbed into the wound, she saw stars. From her shoulder to her buttocks, they administered the shots. Five minutes into the torture, she’d seized in anxiety. She gasped for air as her tiny heart pounded. Her chest felt as if an elephant was sitting on her, and she accepted the darkness that finally came when the sedation was administered.

  It had been years since her last attack, but she’d been no stranger to the emergency room. Throughout college, she’d been taken several times. It wasn’t until she fully understood the nature of her condition and how to better control the stress, that she’d been relieved of going through the hellish experience of sitting in the waiting room, and later being poked and prodded by medical staff.

  The sound of Garrett’s booming voice brought her thoughts back to the present, and her stomach dropped as the doctor approached. When they’d refused to let them back to see Cormac, Garrett had called for the administrator to intervene. Apparently, he’d recently donated several million dollars toward their new cancer center. A brief conversation was all it took, and they were through the locked doors. As they made their way through the ER, Selby took note of several officers, who’d gathered outside one of the rooms. A doctor stopped them before they had a chance to go any further.

  “Mr. Emerson?” she asked.

  “Yes, that’s me. What happened?” Garrett demanded. “Is he going to be all right?”

  “Sir, please. Just a minute.” The doctor’s eyes dropped to the ground and then back to Garrett’s. “I’m Dr. Ross and I was on call when the ambulance arrived. I’m not sure of your relationship to the victim, but his brother knows you’re here and gave me permission to talk with you…I’m very sorry to tell you but he’s gone.”